11th May 2008 (Pentecost)
Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost is a Jewish harvest festival, and it is significant that the Holy Spirit came upon the church at such a time. The church has been sent on a mission by the Son of God, just as the Son was sent on a mission by the Father. We have been sent to reap a harvest for God; and to succeed we need the Holy Spirit.
The disciples had waited for this day, ever since Jesus had ascended into heaven ten days before. They did not know exactly what would happen and when. But they knew that Jesus had told them they would be his witnesses throughout the world, and that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that all they had to do was wait in Jerusalem. So they waited together, in an upper room where they were constantly in prayer, or often in the Temple where they were praising God (Luke 24:53).
When the Holy Spirit came, it was unmistakeable. Even the people in the street realized something weird was happening, and Peter took the opportunity to explain. The result was the birth of the church, with the 120 disciples being joined by another 3,000. The harvest had begun!
The disciples could not have predicted or prepared for any of this. Old Testament prophecies said nothing about speaking in other languages, or tongues of fire. (They would not have been surprised at the wind; the word for 'wind' is the same word in both Hebrew and Greek as the word for 'breath' and for 'spirit'.) They had been prepared for this, they were open for this, but they had not planned for this. The coming of the Spirit was God's initiative entirely.
When a similar event happened at the house of Cornelius, Peter called it a 'baptism' with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:16). The event that started the Christian church was repeated in individual lives. Similar things happened to other individuals. Details varied, but people knew that the Holy Spirit had come upon them.
We too need to know by experience that the Holy Spirit has come upon us. Many Christians are content with believing that the Holy Spirit is in them, without any conscious experience of him. This is unfortunate, because the Christian life is not just about doctrine and morality, but about a living relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. However, we cannot say what experience a particular person should expect, and I believe many who do not feel they have been 'baptized with the Spirit' have actually received him and experience him - it is just that they do not recognise their experience for what it is.
Let us learn to 'live by the Spirit' (Galatians 5:16). Then the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace etc. - will grow, in us and in others!
Questions:
1) What aspects of the Holy Spirit excite you, and what scares you?
2) What difference does the Holy Spirit make to church life? To your life?